


Beyond fading stars

by RukiaG



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - FMA Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Universe, F/M, Kinda, Mice Washing, Pining Shiro (Voltron), Shallura Week 2017, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Stargazing, Team Bonding, Trust Falls, both yes, language lessons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2018-11-22 13:40:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11381337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RukiaG/pseuds/RukiaG
Summary: Series of one-shots for Shallura week 2017. Some may be AU, some not.Chapter 1: Time & Space. AU, in a different reality, Shiro and Allura meet at a hospital.Chapter 2: Hands & Names. Allura teaches Altean to the Paladins and Shiro tries to control his crush on her.Chapter 3: Trust & Growth. Team Voltron does trust falls.Chapter 4: Potential & Free. Fullmetal Alchemist AU in which Shiro is a veteran from the Ishval Civil War and Allura is an alchemist. (WARNING: may contain some references to the manga and Brotherhood’s ending).Chapter 5: Lost & Found. The mice are lost. Shiro helps Allura find them.Chapter 6: Black & White. AU, spin-off of the first chapter. For their first date, Shiro and Allura go stargazing.





	1. Time & Space

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'll probably won't be able to keep on schedule, but I wanted to do at least the first day of Shallura week on time, because this is the first time I get into one of these events. Also I don't know why this prompt made me thing of Slav and his alternate realities rant.

There’s an old Altean saying: _Nor time nor space can keep apart those who love_.

* * *

 

Shiro was bored. It could be worse, he told himself, he could still be restricted to bed rest. At least, now the nurses allowed him to roam the hospital for a while.

He had lost count of the days (weeks? Months?) that had passed since he lost consciousness in a war zone only to wake up in a hospital back home, right arm missing and having more scars than he remembered. And the first time he looked himself in a mirror after waking up, he seemed to be twenty years older.

He wandered aimlessly the corridors until he got tired, and sat down on an uncomfortable chair. He hadn’t been there for five minutes, when a middle-aged man left the room in front of him. The man seemed surprised to see Shiro, but acknowledged him with a nod that Shiro returned. He had seen that man often at visitors’ time, probably visiting some familiar, Shiro guessed.

To his surprise, the man sat down next to him.

“Bad day, eh?”

Shiro arched an eyebrow and looked pointedly at his stump.

“More like _several_ bad days.”

The man let out a bitter chuckle.

“Yes, several days.”

“Is everything okay?” Shiro asked, and immediately wanted to punch himself. Of course _nothing_ was okay, dumbass. If it were, none of them would be in a hospital.

The man sighed.

“I have to leave for a week to settle some matters with my brother-in-law’s company. My niece was meant to inherit it, but…” His eyes darted to the door in front of them. Shiro hesitated.

“May… May I ask what happened?”

“A car accident. It was so… silly. Alfor, was always so ridiculously prudent when he drove and then some jerk goes and…” He went still and rubbed his face. “My brother-in-law died and his daughter is still in a coma. It’s been ten months and the doctors don’t know if… _when_ she’ll wake up.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.” Well, that sounded like a lame thing to respond to something like that, but Shiro couldn’t think of anything better. He felt suddenly guilty for pitying himself, when there were people who had it worse.

The man, however, smiled sadly at him.

“Please, I should be the one to say that. I just ranted to you and I didn’t even introduce myself.” He extended a hand (the left one, Shiro noticed). “I’m Coran.”

“Shiro.” They shook hands. “Don’t worry about ranting. It’s nice to have someone to talk to. My brother spent a few days with me, but he’ll have exams at the University soon and I told him to focus on his studies. And most of my friends are on the other side of the world, so…” He finished the sentence with a hand gesture. He didn’t feel like talking about the rest of his family, and Coran didn’t press him.

There was a short pause. Coran seemed to want to add something, and Shiro waited for him to find the words to. Finally, Coran spoke.

“Shiro, you look like a nice young man. Can I ask you a favour?”

“Sure. I’d like to help, if I’m able to.”

“I just don’t want to leave my niece alone for a week. Could you keep her company while I’m away? The doctor already assured they’ll call me if there’s any change, but…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, yet Shiro understood.

“Don’t worry, Coran. I’ll make sure she’s okay.”

He smiled, looking far less worried than when they conversation started.

“Thank you, Shiro.” He stood up. “Well, I’ll see you again in a week.”

“Wait.” Coran stopped and turned to look at him. “You didn’t tell me your niece’s name.”

“Sorry, you’re right. Her name is Allura.”

* * *

 

The first day, Shiro thought he was doing something wrong. It was weird, sneaking into another patient’s room, even though he had spent so much time at the hospital that no one would question him roaming around. Even so, it seemed like he was intruding.

He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t to find the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Sure, the months spent in coma had left her too thin and pale, but there was something about her that took his breath away.

He sat down on a chair near her bed, unsure of what to do. He had heard somewhere that people in coma were still somewhat aware of their surroundings, so he thought he should introduce himself.

“So… Uh… Hi. I’m Shiro. Well, actually, my name is Takashi, but everyone calls me Shiro. Because of Shirogane… I mean, my full name is Takashi Shirogane, but my friends call me Shiro. My little step-brother too; I have no idea why, though.” He paused, trying to compose himself.

“Your uncle, Coran, asked me to keep you company. I don’t know why he did it, we just met yesterday. I guess he didn’t have any better options.” He thought for a moment. “I’m glad he did, though. I don’t have much to do, except going to rehab and therapy. Rehab is exasperating and in therapy I always run into this neurotic guy who gets on my nerves. I try to be polite to him because he has his own issues but still, he’s so… ugh.”

Another pause. Allura was eerily quiet, and Shiro suddenly remember being a child and watching _The Sleeping Beauty_ for the first time. Surely a true love kiss wouldn’t wake her up, would it? The idea made him blush.

He stayed for twenty more minutes, before going back to his room, feeling oddly silly.

* * *

 

The second day, he paced around the room, unable to sit down.

“My brother just called me.” He said suddenly. “He got in trouble again. I don’t know where he got that insubordinate streak, he used to be such a sweet child.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I wish I could be with him now. I miss my family.” He looked at her, heart filled with sadness. “Your family misses you too, you know.”

There wasn’t an answer.

* * *

 

The third day, Shiro came to her room sooner than usual.

“I’m hiding from my therapist.” He confessed. “I know it’s childish, but today I just… I don’t want to talk. Not to him anyway. Last time he insisted in talking about my last memories. You know, before I lost my arm. And it’s so frustrating. I was a civil pilot working for the Red Cross and I only remember being on a rescue helicopter and then… then…” Shiro rubbed his forehead. “Nothing. I don’t know what I’m supposed to remember. I don’t know why he wants me to talk about that. I don’t want to.”

He sat down for what felt like hours yet were only a few minutes.

“I think… I think I could talk to you about it. It’s so weird, I don’t know you, but I already trust you.”

He looked at his only hand, clenched tightly into a fist, and left the room.

* * *

 

“I wish you were awake.”

Shiro was looking through the window. Outside, the sun peeked from behind fluffy clouds. It was the fourth day he’d been visiting Allura’s room and he still couldn’t shake the feeling of how insane that situation was.

He sighed.

“You know, I feel like a creep, talking to someone I don’t know, who doesn’t know me.” He looked at her. “I wish you were awake. I wish I could properly talk to you.”

Without thinking, he reached out and squeezed her hand lightly. His skin looked so pale and rough against hers, smooth and dark under the sunlight…

He was about to leave when a beeping sound from one of the screens at her bedside caught his attention.

Allura stirred, and opened her eyes.

They were the deepest blue he had ever seen.

“Nurse!”

* * *

 

The fifth day, Shiro wasn’t sure if he should visit Allura. After he had called the nurse, doctors had kept her busy with medical examinations. Coran had been notified about his niece waking up and he’d be back that evening. So Shiro didn’t really have a reason to see her.

Even so, he found himself in front of her room. He hesitated for a second, before knocking on the door.

“Come in.” He heard, and he couldn’t help the thrill that ran up his spine when he realized it was the first time he heard her talk.

“Hi.” He said. Allura looked at him, frowning, and tilted her head. “Uh… How are you feeling?”

“Do I know you?”

Shiro winced. It would be better to be sincere.

“No, you don’t.”

“How weird. You sound familiar.”

Shiro blushed.

“Actually, I met your uncle while he visited you. He had to leave for a week, and asked me to keep you company.” He fidgeted under her gaze. “Uh… My name is Shiro.”

And then, she smiled, soft and brighter than the sun.

“Nice to meet you, Shiro. I’m Allura. Do you want to sit down? We could talk, if you want.”

Shiro nodded. It felt like a dream, finally being able to have a real conversation with her.

However, for a while neither talked, heavy silence between then.

“The doctor told me my father died.” Allura said all of a sudden. “Ten months ago. I couldn’t even go to his funeral.”

“I… I’m sorry for your loss.” Shiro knew that was a meaningless, empty expression, but he didn’t know what else to say. She didn’t seem to listen though.

“And I won’t be able to go to his grave for _days_ , because I can barely walk. The doctor says that I should stay here at least some time to make sure there isn’t any long-term damage and do some rehab, but I just… I just want to leave.”

“I understand.”

Her eyes darted to him, and shifted to his stump for a second before resting on his face.

“I’m sorry, you probably have enough troubles and don’t need mine.”

He shrugged.

“We all have our problems. Don’t worry, we can go to rehab together and I’ll introduce you to all the poor guys in the hospital.”

That made her chuckle, and he smiled.

They kept talking for hours, of everything and nothing. Allura told him about the pet mouse she had in Middle School, and how she had wanted to have a mice circus. Shiro told her that when he was a kid he wanted to be an astronaut, and that he and his brother used to dress up as space pirates.

That make her laugh and cry, and Shiro almost freaked out, until she told him that her father used to sit down with her, on clear summer nights, to watch the stars.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know…”

“It’s okay, Shiro.” She smiled, tears shimmering in her eyes. “You know, I like being with you. Maybe when we get out of the hospital, we could go stargazing together?”

Shiro returned her smile. He couldn’t wait to sit with her under the night sky.

And in a different timeline, a different reality, on the other side of the universe, they were indeed looking at the stars.


	2. Hands & Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura teaches Altean to the Paladins and Shiro tries to control his crush on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was thinking about Altean writing characters and katakana and this happened. In case you don’t know, katakana is the alphabet used in Japanese to write foreign languages and names. Problem comes when you have to write a sound that doesn’t exist in Japanese, so if you want to write something in English in katakana, for example, you can end up with something that doesn’t sound like English at all.  
> I like the idea of the Altean alphabet having different sounds than the ones the Paladins are used to, and vice versa, their languages having different sounds that can’t be written with Alien alphabets.  
> Also, one of the many things I love about Voltron is how accurate it is about learning new languages. That is, cuss words first, then suffer with the grammar as if you’re going to get eating by a monster.  
> Sorry, long AN, hope you enjoy! :D

“And this symbol is _ztr_. Be careful to no mistake it with the one for _srl_ , they are quite similar.”

Hunk groaned, Lance banged his head against the desk and Keith ran a hand through his hair. Pidge didn’t complain, this way of learning Altean was way safer than the Castle’s tutorial.

Shiro just sighed. He was used to pay attention to little details in writing that seemed totally unimportant yet could change the meaning of a word entirely. He remembered being a kid and having to repeat kanjis again and again until he could draw them without thinking. Also, his teacher had been very demanding, often ranting about the many calligraphy trophies he had won in his youth and making the students repeat their homework if they wrote the strokes in the wrong order (because he always noticed, of course he did). And it got worse as Shiro became older and the kanjis he had to study got more complex.

So, the problem here for Shiro wasn’t the Altean language and its writing. It was that he couldn’t focus on anything but Allura’s hands.

They had all agreed that it was about time for them to learn to read some Alien languages, not only to understand the messages on the Lion’s screens and the information they got from raids on Galra ships, but also for day to day live. The Space Mall was one of the examples used, though the actual decision came from some incident with what Lance thought were bath salts. Coran still wasn’t sure if they’ll be able to use the baths on the ninth floor ever again.

So, they had taken a varga from everyday training time so they could learn Altean. And usually it was Allura who taught them, and Coran used that time to update their archives on Galra language, because, even though both Allura and Coran spoke it, it was the dialect from ten thousand years ago. As Pidge pointed out, it was a wonder the language hadn’t changed enough to be unintelligible.

Anyway, this brings us back to Shiro’s current problem.

As Allura explained pronunciation and meaning of the different symbols, she drew then on a screen with her fingers. She had such beautiful hands, Shiro thought, moving gracefully over the screen, leaving slender lines, like a figure skater on ice.

He was so focused on them, he was surprised when Lance suddenly whined.

“Whyyyy? Why meeeee?”

Allura put her hands on her hips and Shiro forced his eyes to stay on her face.

“Stop complaining, you all are doing this exercise. If you don’t go first, I’ll ask Keith, and you can go after him.”

This had the desired effect and Lance stood up. Shiro tried to not freak out and pay attention. He had no idea what that exercise was about, and he couldn’t ask, that would be admitting he hadn’t been listening to Allura’s lesson.

Lance reached the screen and hesitated for a tick, before drawing a few Altean symbols with careful, slightly insecure writing. Allura arched an eyebrow.

“So, can anyone tell me what mistake did Lance?”

A pause. The Paladins looked at each other. Finally, Hunk raised a hesitant hand.

“Yes, Hunk?”

“I… I think he wrote… Uh…” Hunk stared at the symbols. “ _Lahnks Malkkleyng_?”

“That’s right.” Allura nodded and drew some characters, her calligraphy fluid and elegant under Lance’s messy one. “This would be a better form of writing your name, Lance. There are some differences between our ways of portraying sound, your names will still be a bit inaccurate in Altean. You may sit down.” Lance went back to his seat. “So, who wants to be the next one to try and write their name? Pidge?”

“Sure… But I have a question, which name should I write?”

Allura looked at her in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, ‘Pidge’ it’s a nickname. Actually, I needed a fake name at the Garrison and I went by ‘Pidge Gunderson’, but I like Holt better. You know, as a surname, because my real name is Katie Holt. Of course, I got used to being Pidge now, but I like Katie too. I mean, it’s the one my parents gave me and I’m very fond of it because I love them a lot. Maybe I could be Katie Pidge Holt? Sounds a bit weird though…”

“Pidge, you’re rambling.” Keith cut her. “Just write whichever you want.”

“Oh, okay.” She stood up and drew her name on Altean letters.

“So, who wants to read it? Keith?”

The Red Paladin squinted at the symbols.

“ _Khatii_ … _Pidteg_ … _Hohllth_?”

“Good, though she wrote _Piddgh_ , not _Pidteg_. See?” Allura drew two very similar symbols. “This one is _ddgh_ , and this is _dteg_. Look at how they curl to different directions.”

She pointed at the differences. Shiro was vaguely aware that he should take notes, but he could only watch her hands tracing patterns over the screen, and he idly wondered how would they feel on his own skin.

“Well done, Pidge, you may sit. Who wants to be next? Shiro? You have been very quiet.”

Shiro was startled at the sound of his name. Coming back to reality, he stood up and tried to remember the Altean symbols he needed to write something that sounded close enough to his name.

Allura tilted her head as she read what he wrote. This time, she didn’t ask for volunteers.

“ _Takhasxi Sxirhoghaaneh_? Is that your name, Shiro?”

“Well, it’s Takashi Shirogane, I’m not sure if I wrote it right in Altean.”

“Oh, it’s right, don’t worry. It’s just that I’m surprised none of you said your real names until now. Do earthlings always use different names?”

“Well, we usually have one or several first or last names. The last names are inherited from one or both parents, and are more formal than first names. Those are the ones parents give to their children, and are usually used between family members and friends. Then there are nicknames which are not official names, but are used to address friends, like Pidge or Shiro.”

“Oh.”

“Did Alteans only have one name?” Hunk asked.

“Not exactly, but our full names were only used at especial events, like births, weddings, or to make an oath.”

“So, you wouldn’t just say it like shaving a _nksuhsmrl_ with a _jiztr’kha_?”

They all stared at Lance.

“What? Did I say it wrong?”

“No, it was surprisingly accurate. But I’ll have to talk to Coran about what proverbs are proper to teach you.”

Lance smirked.

“I _knew_ it was something dirty!”

“Lance…” Shiro used his best ‘Dad Voice’ and the teenager shut up immediately.

What Lance chose to learn on those language classes wasn’t always what Allura would call ‘proper’. They all were good enough at languages, because the Garrison, being an international agency, demanded a good level of English and at least two more languages to get into the program, but of course there were differences on their learning rates.

Keith and Hunk weren’t as gifted for languages, but they were hard working and improved quite fast. Pidge already had some knowledge of Altean, and Shiro wasn’t bad at it. Lance, though…

Lance was more gifted for languages than anyone Shiro had ever met, but he just seemed more interested on the speaking part rather than the writing. He even started talking to Coran in Altean, and the old man was more than happy to teach him old proverbs and idiomatic expressions.

And for Allura’s face, Shiro guessed not all of them were child friendly.

It was confirmed when they heard Pidge chuckle. She had searched the proverb Lance just used. When Hunk looked over her shoulder at her tablet, he turned a deep red.

“Okay, enough lessons for today.” Allura dismissed them. “Time to train with your Lions.”

The Paladins stood up, leaving quickly the room, all eager to do something funnier. Pidge and Lance talked in a hushed voice, probably exchanging more extracurricular Altean words. Shiro sighed, feeling as if he was back in school.

He was the last one to leave, and he found himself walking alongside Allura.

“Shiro, may I ask you something?” She asked.

“Of course, Princess.”

“Why do you use a nickname?” Allura pronounced the unknown word carefully. He smiled.

“Well, ‘Takashi’ is a very common name in my country, and I had a classmate in school who had the same name, so we used nicknames instead, to avoid confusions. Then I went to the Garrison, and I just introduced myself as ‘Shiro’ to the people there because I was already used to being called like that.”

“I see.” Allura mulled it over for a tick. “It sounds good though. Takashi.”

The way she said it, as if enjoying the sound on her tongue, sent a shiver down his spine. He swallowed.

“You may call me by that name, if you want.”

She grinned.

“I’d love to. And you may call me Allura more often. I noticed you usually call me ‘Princess’.”

He blushed. He loved to say her name, but it felt too personal, to intimate. But she just gave him permission, so…

“Okay… Allura.”

Was she blushing too? The pink marks on her cheeks looked brighter than usual.

“All right, I’m glad this had been settle. I have to help Coran with the archives, so, could you deal with the Paladin training by yourselves?”

“Of course, Prin… Allura.”

“I’ll see you at dinner then, Takashi.”

She smiled and waved at him. Shiro waved back, cheeks still red, a warm feeling in his heart.


	3. Trust & Growth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Voltron does trust falls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A week late and this one doesn’t have much Shallura, and didn’t turn out quite as expected, but I think it’s okay. I have the feeling I used this prompt just as an excuse to write Allura carrying Shiro bridal style, but whatever. Also, this one comes with a little bit of Klance :D

“I’m not doing that.”

“Lance, it was _your_ idea.”

“Come on! You know what happened in the invisible maze. There’s no quiznacking way I’m going to trust that Mullet guy.”

“Good, because I’m not trusting you either.”

“What?! When did _I_ give you any reason to not trust me?”

“When you let yourself be fooled by that Alien girl, Nyma.”

“That wasn’t my fault! Besides, you almost abandoned me that time. You’re so untrustworthy.”

Pidge rolled her eyes at both teenagers as their bickering escalated. Hunk had given up trying to argue with them and sat down next to her on the couch.

It had been Lance’s idea to do trust falls, and things had gone smoothly enough until it was Keith’s turn to catch Lance. Neither of them were pleased.

The door of the lounge room slid open and Shiro came in. He sighed when he saw Keith and Lance bickering again.

“What happened this time?”

“Shiro!” Lance pointed dramatically at Keith. “They’re asking me to trust that guy!”

“Why should I do this? This is worse than Coran’s bonding exercises.”

Shiro lifted both hands, trying to calm them down.

“Okay, first thing first: What’s happening?”

“Lance proposed to do trust falls, but now he doesn’t want Keith to catch him.” Pidge explained.

“He’s gonna let me fall!”

Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose. _Patience yields focus_.

“Lance, we’re a team. We had formed Voltron several times, saved each other’s lives. Why wouldn’t you trust Keith?”

Lance pouted.

“It’s not the same thing.”

“You’re being stubborn.”

“I’m not!”

In the end, Shiro managed to convince Lance. Unsurprisingly, Keith caught him, and when they had to switch places, Keith barely complained before letting himself fall into Lance’s arms. Both times, they quickly split apart, cheeks slightly red.

That would had been the end of this story, if Hunk hadn’t asked something.

“Hey, Shiro, are you gonna do the trust falls too?”

Shiro felt something stir on the back of his mind, and for a second he thought he was going to have a flashback, but the feeling disappeared as soon as it came. He dismissed it as nothing important.

“Sure. Who do I have to catch?”

Lance rolled his eyes.

“Come on, as if you’d let any of us fall.”

“As long as I don’t have to catch him.” Pidge said. “No offense intended, Shiro, but with our height difference… It’s a wonder I managed to carry you when we ran away from the Garrison.”

Shiro blinked.

“You did _what_? Why did you…?”

“Well, now it doesn’t matter how exactly we escaped the Garrison or how much collateral damage we caused.” Shiro sent him a ‘Dad Look’. Lance just continued. “Now we are doing trust falls. So, who’s gonna catch Shiro?”

“Okay, I’ll do it.” Hunk volunteered before Keith and Lance could start arguing again.

Shiro stood with Hunk behind him, and he felt that nagging sensation at the back of his mind again, and something that seemed anxiety raised inside of him. It was fine, he told himself. He trusted his team, they would never hurt him. It was fine.

“Ready?” Hunk asked. Shiro nodded, let himself fall…

And the fall was cut short when his own leg stopped it.

Shiro looked down, surprised. He hadn’t even realized he had moved.

“Sorry, Hunk. It was just a reflex. Let’s try again.”

And they did. And again, and again, and for some reason Shiro couldn’t stop his own body from reacting. It didn’t make sense, he thought. He trusted them, he knew he could trust them. Why did his body react as if he couldn’t?

And with every failed attempt he got more anxious, and the more anxious he got, the more difficult it became to control his own body. All four younger Paladins had tried to catch him at this point, and Shiro could see the disappointment in their eyes, the broken trust.

“I’m sorry.” He said, flesh hand trembling. “I… I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“It’s okay, Shiro.” Keith patted his shoulder.

“Yeah, don’t worry.” Hunk added. “Maybe you should rest a bit? You look awfully pale.”

At that moment, the door slid open again, this time to reveal the Princess and the mice.

“Paladins, is everything alright?”

“Oh, yes, we were doing trust falls.” Lance said. “Do you want to try? Don’t worry, I’ll catch you.”

Lance winked at her, Allura just ignored him.

“Shiro, are you okay? You look unwell.”

“Don’t worry, Princess. I’m fine.”

“Well…” Pidge hesitated. “Seems like he’s having trouble controlling involuntary reflexes. It may have something to do with his PT…”

Lance covered her mouth with a hand. There was an awkward pause that Allura broke.

“So, what are those ‘trust falls’ you’re doing?”

“It’s a bonding exercise!” Lance explained. “You just have to let yourself fall and one of your friends will catch you. Like this!”

Lance almost threw himself at Hunk, who yelped and caught him just in time.

“Dude, you have to warn first!”

And so, the younger Paladins showed the Alien Princess a new bonding exercise. Shiro stayed on the couch, feeling the blades of anxiety and suppressed memories that had been tearing his mind slowly fade away.

* * *

 

“I’m not doing this _ever_ again!” Lance complained.

They had managed to escape Zarkon, but all five Paladins and Coran were covered in minor burns from the wormhole.

“Don’t worry, we should be able to repair the teluvav.” Coran said. “Though I’m going to need help.”

Hunk and Pidge groaned. They’ll have a few sleepless nights ahead.

“First, we have to treat our wounds” Shiro said. “And we all are going to need a good night of sleep.”

“Okay, everybody. To the infirmary!” Coran slid down the hallway. He really was getting fond of his slipperies.

Hunk and Pidge dragged themselves slowly, stress and sleep deprivation wearing them down. Keith and Lance were leaning on each other, too tired to bicker. Or maybe they were finally starting to get along. Shiro had noticed their banter seemed friendlier lately, and he was so happy for them. They all had grown so much as a team since the first time they formed Voltron.

Suddenly, Shiro’s foot slid on a pool of sticky liquid left by Coran’s slipperies. He fell…

Only to be caught by a pair of slim, yet strong arms.

“Shiro! Are you alright?”

Shiro blinked, surprised. Somehow, instead of hitting the floor, Princess Allura was carrying him bridal style. His cheeks turned a deep red.

“I… Uh… Yes! I’m fine, thank you, Princess. I just slipped.”

He tried to stand up, but Allura had him securely nestled in her arms.

“You know, I think I’m not the only one who should be resting.” She smiled at him.

Shiro smiled back at her. Seems like Lance and Keith weren’t the only ones growing closer.

He knew then, without a doubt, as Allura carried him in her arms, that he’ll always be able to trust her to catch him if he fell.


	4. Potential & Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FMA AU in which Shiro is a veteran from the Ishval Civil War and Allura is an alchemist (WARNING: may contain some references to the manga and Brotherhood’s ending).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know I’m awfully late for Shallura week and I'm sorry, I had a horrible month, but I want to finish it, so… I guess late is better than never.  
> I like to think that Shiro’s prosthetic is like the automails from FMA; I was going to use that idea for a Magic AU, and while thinking about it and this prompt at the same time, this happened.

Shiro looked at the address on his notebook, and then at the one above the blue wooden door. Yep, it was the right place. He climbed the steps and rang the doorbell.

As he waited, he looked around. He was in a nice little village, just a few hours away in train from West City. The spring air smelled softly of the flowers around the little house, their bright dark pink a nice contrast against the white walls. A bee buzzed past him, flying from one flower to another. It was such a peaceful sight, it was hard to believe that the other side of the country was still ravaged by the civil war.

The door opened and Shiro turned around. He didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t a young woman with dark skin and white hair. An unpleasant memory stirred on the back of his mind (smoke and blood and charred flesh), but he managed to control it once he noticed the woman’s blue eyes (blue, not red).

The woman looked him up and down and didn’t hide her disgust at his uniform. Shiro couldn’t blame her, he felt disgusted at it too.

“May I help you?”

Shiro composed himself.

“Yes. I’m Lieutenant Takashi Shirogane, from the Human Resources department of the Amestrian Army. I wish to speak to Miss Allura Altea. Is she home?”

The young woman seemed even more distrustful now.

“I am Allura Altea.”

Shiro sighed. Of course it would be her. That’s what happens when you assume a well-known alchemist has to be some old crone, instead of paying attention to her dossier.

“May I have a few words with you, Miss Altea?”

He wouldn’t have been surprised if she had slammed the door in his face, but after one more suspicious look, she let him in. Shiro followed her into a small study. Or maybe it was a library, the walls where covered in shelves full of books, except the one with the windows that filled the room with light. He could see the back yard, a bit crowed with fruit trees and a little vegetable garden.

Miss Altea sat down behind a heavy, old desk, and pointed at a chair in front of her. Once he was seated, she eyed him with a serious, no-nonsense look that reminded Shiro of that incident with the cow and the maths teacher that made him and Matt end up in the principal’s office when they were eleven.

“So, what does the Army want with me?”

She said ‘Army’ as if it was the most revolting cuss word in the world. It was, but that’s not the point. Shiro cleared his throat.

“Miss Altea, I’d like to offer you a place as…”

“No.”

Shiro blinked. He wasn’t surprised (none of the alchemists he had interviewed thus far had accepted), but she could at least let him finish.

“I was just going to ask you…”

“Don’t bother. I know why you’re here, and I’ll never join the State Alchemist program. There’s no need to lose any more of our time.”

“Miss Altea, your works on healing alchemy have the potential to do a lot of good, given the proper funding. The Army…”

“The Army only cares about patching up their soldiers so they could be back at killing innocent people or dying on the latest war zone.”

Well, he couldn’t argue with that. Shiro stood up.

“Very well, I see I can’t convince you, Miss Altea.”

She arched an eyebrow.

“You’re giving up already? I thought it’d be harder to get rid of you.”

He let out a bitter chuckle.

“To be honest, harassing alchemists into working for the Army is the last thing I want to do. I was given this job just because it’s the only thing I can do right now.”

He touched his right arm absentmindedly and her eyes laid for the first time on Shiro’s prosthetic. When she looked at him again, she seemed almost… sorry.

“It was nice to meet you, Miss Altea. I’ll see myself out.”

* * *

 

Shiro thought he’d never see her again. So he was as surprised as her when they ran into each other about a year and a half later, in a public school of all places. It was quite an awkward meeting.

“So, I guess the Army is in such a need of staff that now they try to recruit kids.” She said, and Shiro felt the urge to excuse himself.

“The government demands that schools invite some representative from the Army for those ‘profession day’. Usually it’s someone from the Public Relationships department, but they’re a bit short of personnel right now, so…”

More awkwardness.

“May I ask why you’re here?”

“My cousin is a teacher here. He asked me to come and tell the kids about the importance of alchemy.”

“I see.”

Somehow, they ended up sitting together in the auditorium, which made things worse because Shiro couldn’t stop looking at her. When the principal called him, he almost jumped out of his skin, and it took him all his self-control to remember how to speak.

The talk went smoothly enough, though the children were more interested in listening stories about the war than in paying attention to the day to day work in the Army. It had been three years since the war ended, a bit more since Shiro was sent home badly injured, and he still didn’t feel comfortable talking about it. He was relieved when the principal told the children to stop getting off topic.

After, the school’s staff invited them to some tea and sweets in the teacher’s room. Shiro stayed on a corner, making small talk only when someone spoke to him. Thus far, he had only talked to a firefighter who had served in the Army too (she left a few years before the war started, the lucky bastard) and a mechanic of automails, who was more interested in his arm than in conversations.

At this point, Allura Altea walked up to him, listening to the mechanic gushing about his automail, until Shiro excused himself.

“So, you got an automail.”

Shiro looked down, flexing the artificial fingers. When he met her, he was still going through rehab, and at that point had only been allowed to use traditional prosthetics. He shrugged.

“It’s more practical, and the Army has a good rehabilitation program for soldiers who had lost limbs.”

“Of course they’d do.”

Of course they did, otherwise they would have lost half the soldiers still alive after the war.

He was still wondering how to reply when a young man showed up beside them.

“Allura! Is this the guy you were talking about?”

Her cheeks turned a bright pink.

“I don’t know what you mean, Lance.”

The young man grinned and shook Shiro’s hand.

“Lance, I’m Allura’s cousin. Takashi, right? Or should I call you ‘Lieutenant Shirogane’?”

“Just Shiro is okay. It’s how my friends used to call me during military training.”

“Really? How interesting. Tell me, Shiro, do you have a girlfriend? Boyfriend? My cousin here is single, you know.”

“Lance!” Allura’s cheeks were a deep red now.

Shiro stammered something that sounded like a ‘no’, trying to not look at her. He hadn’t been so embarrassed since the last time he had been in Central City, when Maes Hughes managed to corner him and show him photos of his wife for half an hour (that could have been worse though, a friend told him Hughes had been even more annoying with the photos since his daughter was born).

Finally, Allura managed to control his cousin’s nosiness by graving his ear and lecture him about manners. Then, Lance left them alone and both Shiro and Allura could have a polite conversation.

And maybe Shiro was being delusional, but it seemed that she didn’t hate him as much as the first time they met.

* * *

 

Next time he saw her, it was five months later.

It was the middle of winter, and the cold weather made all his scars ache, what was left of his right arm hurting so much, he felt as if he was going to faint. Having an appointment for a check-up at the mechanic only made it worse.

“Maybe we should take it off?” His mechanic, Hunk, looked at him in concern. He was young, but very skilled, and he seemed to notice every time Shiro tried to act as if he was okay.

Shiro took a deep breath.

“No, I should be used to it already.”

“You had only three years of rehab.”

“Three years and a half. The rehab to get an automail is supposed to take _only_ three years.”

“Well, usually yes, three’s okay. But that depends on the patient. It could take longer, and your injuries…”

“Hunk.” The young man shut up. “I’m fine. I promise.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he nodded and led Shiro to the door.

“Just promise me you’ll call if there’s any problem. Anything, okay? Or go see a doctor if it hurts too much.”

“Don’t worry, Hunk, I’ll…”

He gapped. Somewhere on the other side of the street, he saw a glimpse of long, fluffy white hair. Hunk looked at him in confusion.

“Shiro?”

“I’m sorry, Hunk, I just saw someone I know. I’ll call you for my next appointment. Bye!”

Shiro waved at him and Hunk waved back, still a bit confused, but Shiro had already rushed after Allura. He wasn’t sure why, but after their conversation at the school he had wanted to see her again, and a random meeting in the middle of West City seemed too good to let it pass.

“Miss Altea?”

She turned around when she heard her name, and arched an eyebrow.

“I see I’ll have to get used to our random meetings, Lieutenant.”

“Actually, I’ve been promoted. I’m a Captain now.”

“Congratulations.”

She didn’t look impressed, but she wasn’t as aggressive as she had been when they met. He took it as a good sign.

“I just had an appointment with my mechanic. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I had to run a few errands.”

“Oh. Then if you’re not busy… I mean, I don’t want to annoy you, but… huh… I was wondering…” He blushed, rubbing his neck, unsure of what he was about to say. “May I invite you to lunch?”

She arched her eyebrows, and against all odds, she accepted.

* * *

 

The next three years passed in a blur, the daily, grey routine of work and restless nights broken only for those rare moments he spent with Allura. It was something like a friendship, laced with light touches and soft smiles that where on the edge of something else, but never went anywhere. He knew she didn’t have anything personal against himself, but Allura never hid her distrust and disgust at the Army, and sometimes he wondered if he should just leave…

But then, what would he do with his life? He didn’t know anything else than life at the Army. He wasn’t good for anything else, and the uncertainty of change made panic rise from his gut and caged him in a job he had despised for a long time.

And one day, he received a phone call from someone he thought would never speak to him again, and after almost an hour of being lost in his own thoughts, he picked the phone. He needed a favour.

Two days later, he was at Allura’s home. When she opened the door, he smiled at her, the sight of her face making that spring morning look brighter.

“Good morning, Allura.” He pointed at the teenager who was with him. “This is Katie Holt. Katie, Allura Altea.”

She smiled at the teen, and Shiro felt his heart beat faster. Katie immediately shook Allura’s hand, eyes shining with barely contained excitement.

“Miss Altea, I read all your articles about the basis of alchemy applied to medicine.”

“Really? How flattering. Please, come in. And you may call me Allura, Katie.”

“Pidge’s better, only my mom calls me Katie.”

“All right, Pidge. Do you want some tea?”

Once the tea was served, Allura went straight to the point.

“So, Shiro told me you want to become an alchemist.”

“Yes! Both my father and brother were alchemists, and I want to follow their footsteps.”

“Aren’t you a bit too young though?”

“Edward Elric is about my age and he’s already a State Alchemist.”

“Well, that’s true…” Shiro noticed her slight grimace. He knew she had some _opinions_ about letting a boy join the Army. “But to became an alchemist you have to study a lot. What if I lend you a few books first? You’ll have to learn the theory before you can start your alchemy training anyway. You can read them and see if it really interests you.”

Pidge promptly agreed. While she was browsing through the library, Shiro leant close to Allura’s ear.

“Thank you for considering being her teacher.”

She smiled at him and Shiro’s heart skipped a beat.

“I never had an apprentice. It might be interesting.”

“Her mother is very worried about her. After what happened to their family…”

“I understand. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.”

Shiro sighed, letting her confidence calm him. He had already told Allura about the Holts often over the past years, but he’d never thought Colleen Holt would have called him. For a long time, he had been convinced she resented him, because he was still alive while her husband and son laid in the ground, their bodies returned after being killed far from home.

And then, Colleen Holt had contacted him and asked if he could help her, because her daughter wanted to become an alchemist and she was so worry Katie would end up like Sam and Matt… And sure, they hadn’t talked in years, but he had been like a brother to Matt, and if he could do something for Katie…

Shiro just couldn’t deny her.

So he had called Allura and asked her if she was interested in having an apprentice.

And here they were now, watching Pidge gushing about what an amazing library Allura had.

“I just feel responsible for her. I grew up with her brother, we went to war together and…” Shiro shook his head, trying to keep the memories away, a haunted look in his eyes. “I was with him when he died, Allura. I was with him and I could do nothing to save him.”

“Shiro…”

Allura paused. He had never see her looking so shy, so unsure.

“You know, my grandmother was from Ishval.”

Shiro averted his eyes, uncomfortable. He had been injured shortly before the order for the extermination of Ishval was signed, but that didn’t make him any more innocent of the horrors inflicted towards its people.

And then, he felt a soft pull, and to his surprise he saw Allura taking his artificial hand.

“What the Army did to Ishval was unforgivable, but I understand no side of that war was free of sins, and many innocent Amestrians were killed too.” She gazed into his eyes. “I know you lost a lot in the war, and I know you’re a good person. But please, I want you to understand that while you wear that uniform, I can’t forget what those people did to my grandmother’s homeland.”

“I know. I can’t forget either. I don’t even know if I’ll ever be able to forgive myself.”

“Then why don’t you just leave?”

“It’s the only life I know. I can’t do anything else.”

“That’s not true Shiro. You had the potential to do anything you want.”

“But I don’t even know what I want. I don’t see anything in my future.”

He looked down at their intertwined hands. Hers were so warm, and felt so more real than his own body. He squeezed them softly, trying to secure himself to the present. Allura squeezed his hands back.

“Maybe you can try taking one step at a time? What about the near future? I’ve heard there’s going to be a full sun eclipse next week. Lance’s school is going to host an activity so kids could watch it without getting hurt. Do you want to come?”

* * *

 

When he woke up after the eclipse, gasping for air as his soul returned from a deep abyss of despair, Allura was in his arms. They had passed out holding each other, and now she looked at him, eyes full of fear, tears running down her cheeks.

And he knew. He knew he couldn’t live without her, he couldn’t get himself stuck in a life he despised.

He knew what his future was.

* * *

 

Six months later, the path to the little white house with the blue door was covered in golden leaves, falling softly from the trees with every swirl of the autumn breeze. Allura was watching them dance on the wind, when the doorbell rang. She smiled and stood up, hands quickly combing her hair.

When she opened the door he was there, dressed in a plain dark suit, white shirt slightly open, a suitcase at his feet. He smiled at her, the soft light of the autumn sun shining in his eyes.

Without a word, he gave her an official document, certifying that Captain Takashi Shirogane had left the Amestrian Army with utmost honours.

She hugged him with so much force, they almost fell down the stairs.

Shiro felt as if he was going to cry, holding Allura firmly against his chest. For the first time in the last ten years, he was at ease with himself.

He was free.


	5. Lost & Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mice are lost. Shiro helps Allura find them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "Shiro is lost / has been found" idea was too obvious, so I decided to do something different and reuse an old idea ;)

Princess Allura sighed.

"Guys, this isn't funny."

There wasn't an answer. Nor little squeaks nor the sound of tiny footsteps. Allura had to accept the hard true:

The mice were lost.

She had tried searching for them all over her room with no result. Then, she tried to use their mental link. Nothing. Where did they go?

Maybe they were with Hunk. The Yellow Paladin always had some food for them. So Allura went to one of the hangars, where Hunk was repairing one of the pods.

"Hunk?"

The boy almost hit his head against the pod's engine when he tried to stand up.

"Oh, hi Princess. Is something wrong?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you saw the mice. I can't find them."

"Uh, no, sorry. Didn't see them since this morning."

"It's okay, Hunk. Thank you."

Maybe they were with Lance. The Blue Paladin always found time to play with the mice. So Allura went to the lounge room, where Coran was teaching Lance an old Altean card game.

"Coran, Lance. Have you seen the mice? I can't find them."

"Don't worry, Princess. I'll help you search for them." Lance winked at her and Allura sent him an unamused look.

Coran twirled his moustache.

"I'm sorry Princess, but I didn't see them. They can be quite sneaky when they want to."

“I’ll keep searching then. Sorry for interrupting you.”

“No need to be sorry, Princess. You’re the loveliest distraction.”

Allura rolled her eyes at Lance and Coran chuckled.

Maybe they were with Pidge. The mice liked to distract the Green Paladin when she had been working too much. So Allura went to the Green Lion's hangar, where Pidge was tinkering with some Altean technology.

"Pidge, have you seen the mice? I can't find them."

Pidge looked up from her computer, blinking slowly. Allura made a mental note to make her get some rest once she had found the mice.

"The mice? No, I didn't see them. Have you tried looking at the camera feeds?"

"It would be useless. They are tiny enough to sneak through the blind spots."

"Oh. Sorry, I have no idea where they could be."

"Don't worry, they couldn't have disappeared. Just get some rest, okay?"

Pidge mumbled something in response and kept working on her computer.

Maybe they were with Keith. It didn't seem likely, as the mice usually didn't spend too much time with the Red Paladin. Lance's theory was because they could sense Keith was part an Alien cat. Needless to say, Keith didn't find it funny. It was more likely because Keith spent most of his time on the training deck, which was too noisy for the mice.

Anyways, she was going to try. Besides, Shiro was probably with him at that time, so Allura could ask both.

She arrived just in time, as Shiro and Keith were ending their training.

"Shiro, Keith. Have you seen the mice? I can't find them."

"No, I didn't see them." Keith said.

"Do you need help to find them?" Shiro asked.

"Don't worry, I don't want to bother you. It's just weird, I asked everybody on the Castle and no one has seen them."

Allura left the training deck. To her surprise, Shiro followed her, instead of going to the showers with Keith.

"Princess?"

"Yes, Shiro?"

"I just thought… Have you tried the kitchen? Maybe they went to eat something."

"Uh… No, I didn't think about it. Thank you, Shiro."

"You're welcome. May I go with you? I wanted to get something to eat."

"Of course."

The mice weren't in the kitchen. Shiro looked around shyly.

"Sorry, Princess. I thought they'd be here."

"Don't worry, Shiro. They'll show up eventually." Shiro grabbed a bottle of juice and a sandwich, and they left the kitchen. "It's just a bit annoying that they'd do this sometimes. Once, Coran spent three  _vargas_  searching for Platt."

"I remember. Coran went around saying 'I know you have it, you little fuzzy ball of mischief'. I still don't know what Platt stole from him, or if Coran got it back."

Allura chuckled.

"I'm afraid that'll remain a mystery. You know, he…"

Something fell from the ceiling, interrupting what Allura was going to say. Shiro yelped, somehow managing to catch it while still holding the juice and the sandwich.

In his hands, Platt the space mouse, fully covered in dust and dirt, waved at them.

"Platt!" Allura gasped. "What happened to you? You are all dirty!"

"Princess? It looks like he's not the only one."

Allura looked up. Indeed, Chulatt, Plachu and Chuchule were waving at them from an air vent just above their heads, all three of them covered in dark dirt and some weird orange dust. Allura didn't know what they had been doing and she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Okay, you're getting a bath right now."

The mice squeaked in protest. Allura put on her best commanding voice.

"No complains! If you didn't want a bath, then you shouldn't have been messing around. Now come down."

It took a few doboshes, but they finally got the mice to cooperate. Allura carried them on her hands, trying to not get her dress dirty. Shiro insisted on carrying Platt, because he already had dust all over his hands. Luckily the sandwich was wrapped in something that Hunk defined as "biodegradable plastic".

They arrived at Allura’s bedroom and she managed to open the door with an elbow. Shiro had only been there once, when Allura was still resting after she healed the Balmera, and let her lead the way to the bathroom. Allura left the mice in the large bathtub and opened the tap until there were a few inches of water. Shiro brought Platt closer and he jumped into the tub, splashing the other three mice, who squeaked something that sounded annoyed. Allura chuckled.

“Come on, friends. You’ll see how good you’ll look when we’re done. First, we need some soap…” Allura looked around.

“How about this one?” Shiro asked. He had taken a bottle from a counter and was sniffing it cautiously. Allura smiled.

“Yes, that would be perfect. Thank you, Shiro.” Allura poured a droplet of soap on a sponge. “So, who wants to go first?”

The mice squeaked, pointing at each other. Allura chuckled.

“Okay, I’ll choose for you. Chulatt, come here.”

The smallest mouse made a cute pout, but let Allura scrub him with the sponge, and soon he became a pile of bubbles. Meanwhile, Shiro had taken off his fingerless glove and found another sponge, and now he was trying to catch Chuchule. The little troublemaker jumped around the bathtub, slipping through the Paladin’s fingers as if he was made of food goo, while Plachu squeaked in annoyance and Platt played with the water. Allura smiled.

“Do you need help?”

Shiro looked at her, an adorable expression of exasperated defeat on his face. It was quite a sight, the fearless leader of Voltron beaten by unruly mice. Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose, noticing too late he still had soap on his fingers, and Allura couldn’t contain her laughter. It was cute. _He_ was cute.

Shiro sighed.

“Yes, Princess. I fear this task is too hard, even for a Voltron Paladin.”

Allura giggled, and a deep blush bloomed on Shiro’s cheeks.

“Why don’t you try washing Platt? I’m sure he’ll be more cooperative.”

Platt, who had been poking the bubbles covering Chulatt, nuzzled Shiro’s hand.

By the time the mice were clean, Allura and Shiro’s clothes were splattered with soapy water. Washing sentient space mice is harder than it seems, Shiro thought, as he leant against the tub. He was exhausted.

Allura sat down beside him on the tiled floor, a fluffy towel in her hands that she used to dry the mice.

“Thank you for your help, Shiro.”

“You’re welcome.” A tired smile curved his lips. “It was fun, actually. If you ever need help washing the mice again, I’ll be happy to assist you.”

Allura chuckled.

“You are going to became quite an expert on mice washing.”

They laughed, forgetting for once the pressures of war, and Allura leant her head against Shiro’s shoulder. He tensed for a second, before relaxing and bringing her closer with an arm around her shoulders, her hair tickling his nose. They stayed that way for a while, just enjoying each other’s company.

It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, even though the mice ate his sandwich.


	6. Black & White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU, spin-off of the first chapter. For their first date, Shiro and Allura go stargazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this took longer than expected. This chapter is dedicated to ScarletPrincess, who wanted to know if Shiro and Allura went stargazing and gave me the idea. Also, I’ve never went stargazing so I’m not sure if this is accurate.

Of all the places on Earth, a hospital was the last one where Shiro expected to find himself a date.

As much as he had hated being there before, after Allura woke up he had the best weeks of his life. They would spend hours together, talking about everything and nothing or just sitting in silence reading or watching some crappy TV show.

Coran visited Allura as much as he could, and he always insisted that Shiro should stay with them, claiming that Shiro was like a lucky charm, and then Coran would spend hours telling them stories of when he and his sister, Allura’s mother, were children. Coran had a knack for storytelling and Shiro enjoyed listening to him, even more when Coran felt like reminiscing about Allura’s childhood. The pretty blush on Allura’s cheeks those times was a lovely bonus.

And so, weeks passed until they finally were discharged from the hospital. And Allura wasted no time in reminding Shiro that he owed her a night of stargazing.

The day of their first official date, Shiro glared at the mirror in his tiny apartment. He had spent the last half hour trying to properly put on his new prosthetic, to no avail. It always felt uncomfortable and unnatural, its weight too heavy, its feel too strange and wrong. He sighed and glanced at the clock. Allura would be there soon to pick him up and he wasn’t going to make her wait only because he wasn’t happy with how that thing looked. He’d just keep it as it was.

He grabbed his backpack and a jacket and left the apartment. He barely had to wait a few minutes on the street before a silver car parked in front of him and Allura waved at him from the driver’s seat. Shiro got into the car, leaving the bag on the back seat, and smiled at her.

“Hi!”

“Hi.” Allura smiled back at him. Even in comfortable clothes she looked stunning, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, jeans and a comfy pink hoodie.

“So, where are we going?”

“I know the perfect spot for stargazing. It’s just outside the city, you’ll love it.”

Shiro chuckled. She looked adorable when she was excited.

They spent most of the trip in silence, listening to the radio. Sometimes, Allura started to hum along one song and Shiro made a mental note about the music she liked. He often stole a glance at her too, only to quickly look away when she noticed he was staring, a soft grin on her lips and a deep blush on his cheeks.

They arrived when the sun was low on the horizon, with just enough time to reach the spot Allura talked about. After parking the car, they went on a nice walk uphill beneath the thick foliage of evergreen trees, and Shiro filled his lungs with the forest’s fragrance. He was used to physical activity from his time in the army, but Allura was still slightly rusty because of her ten months in coma, even after all the rehab, and he could tell she was getting tired fast. But she didn’t want to rest until they reached the stargazing point, and so, right before the sun set, the path opened to a grassy field.

The sight was breathtaking; the river at their feet shimmered with the golden light of the setting sun, meandering between the gentle hills of the valley. Above them, the first stars were starting to glint, the moon peeking from behind orange-coloured clouds.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Shiro looked at her. The last sunrays made her skin glow, her eyes gleam, her hair sparkle.

“A beautiful sight indeed.”

Allura smiled and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She left her backpack on the ground and pulled out a tablecloth. Shiro helped her spread it on the ground and place on it the food and drinks they brought. He had a blanket too, and left it close to them. The day had been warm, but it might get cold at night.

They sat down and ate in silence as they watched the stars appear on the sky. Sometimes, one of them pointed at a constellation, tracing it with a finger as the other tried to find it, and each time, they leant closer. And as Allura tried to find an elusive star, Shiro suddenly realized they so close, he could feel the warm of her body, the soft fragrance of her hair.

Then Allura turned to him, her eyes reflecting the stars, and his breath caught in his throat. Shiro cupped her cheek, Allura closed her eyes and leant into his hand, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

And Shiro wasn’t sure how it happened, but next thing he knew he was kissing her, and he’d never felt anything like that in his life. It was soft and sweet, and warmth blossomed in his heart and spread through all his body as Allura pulled him closer, fingers laced on the back on his head.

Too soon they had to part to catch their breath, their foreheads touching as both gasped for air. And then Allura let out a giggle, a soft laugh that went _in crescendo_ until it was pure mirth. Shiro joined her, and he didn’t remember when was the last time he felt so young. It didn’t matter now, with Allura in his arms, he felt nothing but happiness, and he allowed himself to laugh.

When they stopped laughing, they held each other, grinning and breathless. Allura pecked him on the lips.

“Well, that was nice.”

Shiro chuckled and pecked her on the nose. Allura yelped and rubbed her nose, smacking him on the shoulder. Her reaction only made him laugh again.

“Don’t laugh! It’s not funny!”

“Okay, okay! You’re right, it isn’t funny.”

But both had the goofiest grins on their faces, and Allura cupped his cheek with a hand before leaning her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, looking at the stars.

However, Shiro started to feel uncomfortable and tried to rub his right arm inconspicuously. Allura noticed though, and straightened up.

“Shiro, are you alright?”

“Yes, don’t worry. It’s just that the new prosthetic is being a bit bothersome.”

“Maybe you should take it off for a while. Do you need help?”

“No, it’s okay. I’ve got this.” He pulled the prosthetic carefully and took off the stockinet around his residual limb, rubbing it to ease the discomfort. He sighed, feeling better now even though he still wasn’t used to see his arm end abruptly at the elbow.

He left the prosthetic in his backpack. He knew Allura was watching him, and he tried to suppress the wave of self-conscious shame gnawing at the back of his head. He’d never been insecure about his body, but losing an arm made him painfully aware of how different he looked now. And why did he have to think about that? They were having such a nice time and he had to ruin it with sour thoughts.

But when he sat down again, Allura intertwined her hand with his, leaning her head on his shoulder, and that warmth that seemed to always go with her chased away all his worries. Once again, they gazed at the night sky, with only the soft rustling of the leaves to break the silence.

In fact, it was such a peaceful, pleasant night, that soon Shiro started to nod off, eyelids feeling heavier with every passing second, until he almost fell down. He straightened up, blinking slowly, and Allura giggled.

"You should lie down before you fall asleep on your feet."

"I'm not on my feet. Besides, I'm not... sleepy..."

Shiro shook his head, trying to will the sleep away. Allura chuckled and reached out, pulling him gently to make him lie down, his head on her lap. If he hadn't been so sleepy, Shiro would have freaked out.

"Allura? What are you doing?"

"Shush..." Allura hushed him, a finger pressed against his lips. "You look tired. You should sleep."

"But..."

"No buts. Don't worry, I'll watch over you."

But Shiro was totally awake now. How could he sleep? His head was lying on Allura's lap, so close to her, the soft curve of her belly brushed his ear every time she breathed. He could smell her sweet scent, and her hair fell like a silver curtain that sheltered them from the world. Shiro looked up and his breath caught in his throat when he saw her face, smiling softly at him, white hair against the black sky and a crown of stars above her head.

Without thinking, he raised his hand and cupped her cheek, marvelling at the softness of her skin. Allura took it and brushed the knuckles with her lips, before resting their intertwined hands on his midriff. Then, with her free hand she brushed the white lock of hair out of his face, slender fingers caressing his hairline. It was very relaxing, but still he wasn't going... to fall... asleep...

Allura watched as Shiro's eyes closed and his breathing became more even, his face losing all tension. He looked so young now, so peaceful. She stroked his hair and his face, fingertips tracing the strong line of his jaw, the scar over his nose, his perfect lips...

Careful to not wake him, she grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around Shiro. The night was warm enough, so she’d be fine with just her hoodie, but she didn’t want Shiro to catch a cold, and she wasn’t going to sleep anyway. She knew she should be tired, but she didn’t feel like sleeping now. She had already been asleep for ten months, surely she could stay awake for one night.

And so, even if the position became a bit uncomfortable and her legs went numb, she stayed there, idly stroking Shiro’s hair, as the moon set and the stars began to fade under the light of the rising sun.

Somewhere up there, in a different reality, in the endless expanse of space, where the stars never fade, a different version of Allura was also watching Shiro sleep on her lap.


End file.
